Improvement in machines for stretching and glossing silk



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LEWIS LEIGH, OF SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR ASI'RETCHING AND GLOSSING SILK, die., IN THE SKEIN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,004, dated ugust 30, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS LEIGI-I, of Sey lnour, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Machinery for Stretching and Glossing Silk and other Fibrous Materials; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the said invenvcntion, reference being had to theeanncxed drawings, making part of this specification,

wherein- Figure l is an elevation of my apparatus, with the containing case in section, and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of said apparatus.

Similar marks of reference denote the sa ne parts.

The present specication comprises a por tion ofthe invention patented by me in Great Britain, the specification otwhich was tiled in that country March 17, 1863.

Previous to my said invention skeins and hinks of silk and other fibrous material had ben stretched and exposed to the action ot' seam under pressure, as set forth in the English patent of William Skinner, July 4, 1860. In this case the potions ofthe skeins or hanks that passed around did not receive a-s much stretch and gloss as the portions between the hooks.

The nature of my said invention consists in revolving hooks or stretching-pins that cause the hank to move or gradually revolve while under strain and exposed to the action of steam, so that all parts ofthe hank. are equally strained and glossed.

In the drawings, a is a case or box, formed with a door, b, iitted with clamping-buttons or hooks c, whereby the case can be rendered steam-tight or access easily be obtained on opening said door to the interior parts.

d d are hooks or stretching' pins sustained by an arm or frame on the lower end of the screw e, which passes through the top ot' the case, and is provided with a nut and handwheel, f, whereby the position of the stretching pins or hooks d d can be adjusted t0 suit dierent lengths of skeins or hanks.

g g are stretching-pins or hooks on a frame or arm, h, 'that is connected with a piston-rod that passes through a stuffing-box to the steam-piston k in the cylinder i, as shown by dotted lines.

k is the val ve-chest to the cylinder t', to admit steam on either side ot' the piston; and l is the steainpipe, admitting steam to the case a.

The parts thus far described do not constitute my invention, as the "operation of stretching the hanks while over the hooks by the action of the steam in the cylinder i, or the relieving that stretching by admitting steam on the other side ofthe piston It', and the steaming of the skeins or hanks have before been effected.

Upon the pins or hooks l cl and g g, I employ short cylinders or sleeves o o and pp, and the cylinders o o are formed with or connected to gears m m, that are driven by a worm-piuion, ln, actuated by gears q and pulleys t" on a shaft, s, passing through a stuffing boX on the' case a. It willvvnow be understood that the skeins or hanks of silk or other iibrousmaterial are passed around the cylinders o o p p, forming the stretching pins or hooks, and while under stretch and the action of the steam are turned or g adually revolved, in order that all parts of the skeins or hanks may be equally stretched and glossed.

It will be understood that this apparatus may be adapted to operate on any desired number of skeins or hanks by increasing the number of pairs of rotating cylinders o p.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'Ihe revolving sleeves or stretching-pins, in combination with the inclosing-case for stretching and glossing skeins or hanks ot' silk or other fibrous material, substantially as specilied.

- In wit-ness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 20th day of January, 1864.

LEWIS LEIGH, Witnesses:

Taos. GEO. HAROLD, GHAs. H. SMITH. 

